Where the Lines Overlap
by ZeroFoxGiven
Summary: After a plane crash leaves them stranded on an uncharted island, Nick and Judy discover a strange new world. With help from a quirky castaway and her not-quite-mammalian friends, the pair set off on a daring quest to return home. However, when details relating to an infamous mystery are revealed, things quickly become complicated. Friendship-focused, eventual NickxOC
1. Flight Risk

**'Sup peeps? We've got another fanfiction from ZeroFoxGiven for ya :D**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Nyxy:** _This may be a 'new' fanfic, however the concept is anything but. Before we worked on iSANiTY, we did a lot of brainstorming together and came up with six different fanfiction ideas for Zootopia. After a lot of debate and development, iSANiTY's concept won out and the other five were shelved, so to speak._

 **Steffi:** _That is until today! We've decided to take up this particular idea and share the resulting fic with all you crazy awesome readers! It's not our best or most original beginning, but we hope it doesn't suck epically either._

 **Story Info:**

Though the concept was created at the same time, it's quite different from its predecessor, iSANiTY: Cold Hearts.

Where the Lines Overlap is a rather cartoony adventure story that isn't as thematically heavy and focuses more on friendship, survival, mystery, a touch of romance and the wonder of discovering something new (like an island filled with reptiles, birds and amphibians!) There will still be plenty of darker moments (especially towards the end) and of course dangerous edge-of-your-seat adventures to keep things interesting! Rated T for violence, peril, action, a bit of mild language and the occasional suggestive joke or innuendo.

And last but not least, a warning of sorts. Like all our work, it's platonically-oriented and not NickxJudy. We just don't see their relationship as romantic, and adore writing them as close friends, being friends ourselves. There will be an eventual NickxOC pairing, but a reasonably slow burn is the name of the game here. If you don't like this, you probably won't enjoy our writing, so we urge you to check out one of the million other awesome fanfics out there. No point reading ours if you know you won't enjoy it.

 **DISCLAIMER: If you think we own anything featured in this story, then you're either very delusional or have been living under a rock (or on a deserted island) for too long. We're earning exactly zero cash from this and stand to gain nothing more than a couple of faves and follows if we're lucky. Let It Go, please?**

* * *

 **Somewhere on an uncharted island...**

"The sun is shining, the air's so humid I might drown and we're about to get hit by a tropical storm. Only thing that could make this better would be the sky falling, don'tcha think?"

Hissy Fit, a tame albino snake, stared silently at his russet-furred companion with an expression of casual indifference. Sighing, the vixen tugged at her sun-bleached shirt and turned her attention to the miles of surrounding ocean.

Though afternoon's light still bathed the rocky shoreline in a golden glow, heavy gray clouds were beginning to overtake the horizon and turn once-inviting waves a deep and foreboding shade of turquoise. Lonely Island and it's inhabitants had of course seen such events before, but all signs pointed towards this being a particularly violent show of nature's nearly infinite power.

"What do you say we batten down the hatches and watch this from inside?"

Glancing over her shoulder at the ever-darkening sky, she nodded in encouragement when the cream-colored reptile slithered off his sunbathing rock and towards her outstretched paw.

 _"Hm. Thought so."_

A harsh wind whipped her fluffy tail into a tangled mess as she retreated inland, carrying the cold-blooded creature towards one of her hasily-constructed shelters. At this time of year, severe storms could be a real pain and the vixen hated to think of how many repairs she'd be stuck doing after it was over.

 _Well, at least nothing was falling from the sky. Yet._

* * *

 **An hour or so earlier...**

Judy stared out the airplane's dusty window with a look of awe, trying her best to take in the swaths of exotic and unfamiliar scenery below. For a while only ocean had been visible, but the vibrant water was currently dotted by an assortment of small islands.

Curious as to why she'd never seen the area mentioned on her oversized map, and knowing Nick was too engrossed with his phone to care, the bunny decided to ask their pilot.

"Mr. Hogg, could you tell me the names of some of these islands? They look beautiful, and we might want to visit them later." Hopefully he'd managed to hear her over the loud humming of the craft's engine.

Taking his beady eyes off the tiny control panel for a moment, the broad-shouldered warthog snorted in amusement.

"They don't have any, and you won't be visiting 'em. All those islands are uncharted, and most of 'em unexplored as well. Tourists ain't banned or anything like that, but good luck finding someone stupid enough to take you out there. Place is a death trap and the locals know it."

Curious and not willing to let the mammal's gruff attitude bother her, Judy tried her best to continue their rather stilted discussion.

"What do you mean by death trap?"

"Lot of weird stuff happens out there. Couple big ships and planes went down nearby, and there've been monster sightings for as long as I can remember. Pretty sure that's where Kit Fairheart disappeared a few years ago as well. Probably lost control of her plane and ditched. Or maybe the monsters got her, too."

He chuckled, adjusting a string of faded foam dice that dangled from the cockpit ceiling.

"I remember when she crashed," Nick half-mumbled, attention still focused on his phone. Judy figured he'd been tuning out the conversation, but apparently not.

 _"Kit Fairheart,"_ the bunny cop mused, "one of the few truly unsolved modern-day mysteries. Disappeared without a trace while trying to break a flight record, and no wreckage or body was ever found despite extensive search efforts. Cases like that used to fascinate me when I was younger, but I always found it heartbreaking and I could never bring myself to watch the interview with her father."

Nick shifted his position slightly, glancing out his own equally dusty window with a somewhat blank expression.

"Yeah, that was a sad day for predators everywhere. It was all a stupid under-planned publicity stunt on her part, but still, would've been nice to see a fox in the record books for once." There was a distinctively cynical tone in his voice, eyes fixed on a few wisps of silver cloud.

Maybe she was being selfish, but Judy didn't want the conversation to take such a depressing turn. It was their first real day of vacation, having spent the previous one checking in and out of airports and hunting for a last-minute hotel that didn't violate at least ten health codes.

"It's not quite a record book, but _The Zootopia Star_ did call you a hero," she enthused, trying to lighten the mood.

Her best friend laughed, sliding the phone back into his pocket and looking decidedly more cheerful.

"Always the optimist, Carrots. I won't argue though. You of all mammals should know I _am_ pretty heroic."

The bunny smiled and shook her head. "In your dreams, you dumb fox. I've had to save your fluffy butt so many times that I lost count."

Wearing his signature smirk once again, Nick watched her from behind glossy sunglasses.

 _"Right._ The ZPD wouldn't have solved half those cases without my help, and you know it." He crossed his legs and leaned back lazily, waiting for a reaction.

"As if! Your talents mainly consist of pawning off the boring jobs and causing prank wars that I always end up taking the blame for."

 _"Alright, alright, so I get you into trouble sometimes,"_ he said with a sly grin and dismissive flick of his wrist. "I'm always there to get you out of it again though, aren't I, Fluff?"

Judy rolled her eyes at the fox. He could be exceptionally annoying sometimes, but she wouldn't trade their friendship for anything.

"I guess so," she giggled, already beginning to enjoy their time off.

The two mammals continued to banter cheerfully for another hour or so, drowning out the plane's noise with their own amusement, and in Judy's case, her favorite music.

She'd closed her eyes and was happily absorbed in Gazelle's latest release when she felt the plane jerk sideways and bounce harshly. Looking around in confusion, she immediately noticed an uneasy expression on Nick's face as he tried to catch a glimpse of the windshield and whatever lay ahead.

Though Mr. Hogg's plump form and horribly-patterned retro shirt made viewing difficult, the problem was obvious.

Something resembling a miniature hurricane swirled ominously on the horizon, illuminating in brilliant gold whenever a streak of lightning split through its murky depths.

"Those are some strange clouds, and we're not supposed to land for another," Judy quickly checked the time on her phone, "hour or so. I'm sure our pilot knows what he's doing, but it _is_ a little unnerving."

As yet another gust of wind caused the plane to shudder, she could tell her partner was having none of it.

Shouting over the noise of the engine, Nick tried to get the attention of their grimacing pilot, who was currently flying them right into the heart of a developing tempest.

"Hey Fly Boy! _I don't wanna question your pig-headed authority or anything,"_ he called mockingly, "but you said you checked the radar for storms before we left."

Grunting angrily in response, the mammal held his ground. "I did."

"Really? _Are you sure?_ Because if I've ever seen something that screamed 'storm approaching', this would be it."

Not taking his eyes off the rapidly-approaching cloud bank, the warthog reached for his lucky dice with an expression of poorly hidden concern.

"Shut up, _fox._ You're right," he growled, "Never checked the radar. Don't need to. Instinct's never failed me before."

"There's a first time for everything," Nick called unhelpfully, watching as the heavyset mammal banged on a crackling communication set while Judy unpacked emergency floatation devices.

"Just in case," she mouthed as his green eyes widened, having been trained by the police academy to remain calm and minimize panic in even the most perilous of situations.

When the rain hit, however, it was a blinding wall punctuated only by bone-chilling flashes of electricity. Visibility crippled, the tension only grew.

Muttering a few choice phrases that nearly caused the bunny to cover her innocent ears, Hogg continued to attempt radio contact while the plane teetered and lurched unnaturally to the left.

"Hold on," she half-whispered, wincing when Nick was slammed into his window with an unfortunate thump.

Removing his sunglasses and rubbing the side of his face, her partner stared at whatever was beyond the streaked and rain-soaked glass with a hollow expression.

"At this point, I don't think holding on is going to help much." The fox's usually sarcastic and smooth tone was eerily deadpan.

When Judy caught sight of what he'd been watching so intently, she could've sworn her heart skipped a beat.

The warped left wing was starting to detach, flapping and vibrating every time a gust of wind struck the aircraft. Judging by Hogg's quivering voice, he'd noticed it too.

 _"Mayday, mayday,"_ he barked, "wing repair ain't holding up in the storm and we're over open water. _Do you roger?"_

Radio silence, then a burst of garbled static.

Neither of the terrified passengers knew if whoever he'd been trying to reach made out a single word of the distress call, but Judy wasn't taking any chances. Keeping her breathing steady, she helped Nick put on his flotation device before securing her own and double checking their seatbelts. Confident she'd done all she could, the bunny focused on further improving their chances.

"Hogg, we need to land this plane _right now."_ There was an uncharacteristic edge to her voice, and the craft's pilot took immediate notice.

"You crazy, rabbit? I can't see two inches in front of me, and even if I could, there's nowhere to land. We say a prayer and keep flying. There's no other choice!"

Grabbing hold of a carry-on bag, Nick's ears were pinned back as he watched the scene unfold.

"I don't really wanna die because some guy with a disco problem was too lazy to follow flight protocol, _but I guess there's no other choice,"_ he mimicked sharply. If the situation hadn't been so traumatizing, Judy would've had to laugh.

Seconds passed before a mechanical clunk shuddered throughout the airplane's flimsy metal hull, replacing the engine's steady hum with agonizing silence.

Pounding manically at the control panel in a last-ditch effort, Hogg bit his lip.

"Engine's stalled out, are you kidding me? Guess we're hitting the drink now," he muttered, doing everything possible to keep his rickety aircraft in a steady glide towards the churning and blackened waves below.

Nick and Judy shared a matching expression of horror, sure they were about to perish during the fall.

To Hogg's credit, he managed to keep everything together until below seventy feet, when the wing was ripped away with a sickening metallic crunch, tearing the craft's rusted body into three separate peices that would come to rest a few hundred yards apart on the ocean floor.

Knowing there were only seconds left before impact, the bunny grabbed her best friend's paw and squeezed as tightly as she could. He returned the gesture, a minor comfort as they plummeted downward.

 _"I promise this time I won't let go,"_ she cried, right before the left side of the wreckage struck a passing wave and began rapidly taking on water. Undoing her seatbelt with a fluid grace that surprised even the mammal herself, she gasped for breath and plunged underneath a swirl of raging froth.

Nick had already freed himself from the twisted confines of crumpled metal, arms wrapped tightly around a suitcase he'd managed to salvage. Fur swaying in the warm current, the mammals shared a wide-eyed glance underwater before paddling to the surface relatively unharmed and clinging to their makeshift life raft.

Judy had insisted on searching for Mr. Hogg, but they'd been unable to locate the seemingly doomed animal.

Though many swells proved too large to fight, the pair drifted slowly towards what appeared to be one of the larger uninhabited islands, eventually coming to rest on a small patch of sandy beach surrounded by jagged coastline. Exhausted from the day's events, they collapsed in a soaking wet heap, still clutching the suitcase that had served as their raft.

Coughing a bit from accidentally breathing in water, Nick frowned. _"What exactly did you have against staycations again?"_

Throwing her head back and nearly losing grip on the surprisingly durable bag of supplies, Judy laughed until tears streamed down her face and mingled with sopping gray fur.

Nick watched her, looking somewhat confused. His comment hadn't actually been that funny, but she was grateful to be alive, and if the bunny were being honest, more than a little shaken up.

They'd originally wanted an island vacation, and it looked as though the two friends were going to get one after all, even if it wasn't exactly according to their best-laid plans. _Life sure was funny sometimes, wasn't it?_

* * *

 **Nyxy:** _So that's that, folks. Major credit to my dear friend Steffi, who did most of the work on this chapter while I edited. I haven't really been up to writing recently but I pushed myself to work on this and I hope turned out okay._

 **Steffi:** _Aw thanks Nyx, and don't worry, you helped plenty. Anyway, we hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Where the Lines Overlap, and we'll have another up in a few days. For all you iSANiTY readers, don't worry. An update is coming, Nyxy's just been distracted by her real life._

 **Nyxy:** _So for those of you interested in a little more information, the story will be set on a 'lost' island filled with creatures (birds, reptiles and amphibians) believed to only exist in urban legends. The location is very loosely based on Madagascar and the Galapagos, where many species can be found that are exclusive to an individual island._

 **With that out of the way, we thank you for reading and wish you a good day/night :3 Faves, follows and kind words are always appreciated if you liked it and want more! Til next time, ZeroFoxGiven is signing off :D**


	2. Chances and Beginnings

**Another chapter? You bet! :D**

 **Steffi:** _Hello people and welcome back! We've got another chapter for you right here, and we hope you like. The cover art, btw, was done by Nyxy specifically for this fic. Pretty amazing, right? You heard it here first, that girl is going places :D_

 **Nyxy:** _Stop sucking up, Stef. We both know it's only because you want me to edit and co-write another 'shelved' fanfic you've got stashed away._

 **Steffi:** _Yeah that is technically true, but your art is still amazing. Anyway, thanks for sticking around and we hope you continue to enjoy our writing! I apologize if some of this isn't quite as good since Nyxy hasn't had as much time to work her magic recently. She did help a lot though, so it should be okay._

 **Shout out to all those who've faved, followed and reviewed! We love ya :3**

 **DISCLAIMER: We still don't own anything, Captain Obvious!**

* * *

 _It was just her luck that something would actually fall from the freaking sky._

Weaving through the jungle's thick underbrush at a dizzying speed, the slender red fox gripped her machete tightly and hoped she wouldn't have to use it. Pausing with her back against a towering palm, the animal's ears instinctively pricked as she listened for intruders.

Hissy Fit dangled from her shoulder lazily, surveying the area with an occasional flick of his forked tongue.

Though distant, she could just make out a female voice over crashing waves and the still-powerful wind. Another mammal had definitely reached Lonely Island. _Fabulous._

"Sometimes I hate life," she muttered, glancing down at her familiar cream-scaled companion. The snake kept his tounge out for a second longer than usual, as though making fun of her pessimistic outlook.

"This ain't good at all. Keeping one secret is hard enough, but keeping two? That's just asking for trouble, Hiss."

For all intents and purposes, the reptile appeared to be amused. This annoyed her greatly.

"I am _not_ desperate for companionship," she insisted, "not even close. Friends are great, but I'm fine on my own. And don't even get me started on love. Biggest waste of time there is. Besides, it's not my job to play rescuer."

 _Silence._ The vixen grimaced, moodily accepting what had to be done. Though her indifference could be quite convincing, she had a very big heart and wasn't all that great about hiding it.

 _"Fine, you stay here._ Whoever she is, she might need my help."

If snakes could laugh, Hissy Fit would've certainly been snickering all the way to his favorite sunbathing spot.

* * *

While she'd visited beaches before, Judy found her new location anything but familiar. An absence of the usual crowds and laughing children gave it a distinct feeling of isolation, only accented by towering gray spires of rock guarding the lush jungles above.

She stepped carefully over a thin layer of sand as though the entire island were alive and waiting to strike, which seemed ridiculous given the place was obviously deserted. The bunny hadn't seen one sign of civilization in the hour or so she and Nick had been searching, and she was beginning to give up hope.

Judy was about to cut her losses and turn around when she heard a strange scuffling noise from one of the smaller rock formations. Ears on high alert, she turned her head towards the sound. A few of the bushes were shaking wildly, as though something had crashed through them only seconds earlier.

The possibility of it being a fallen branch crossed her mind, but an unfamiliar voice quickly put that theory to rest.

"Hey, you," it called, and she caught a glimpse of pale orange fur amongst exotic foliage.

"Bunny girl over there! _Yes you,"_ the mammal yelled, poking her head over the cliff's edge and tilting it inquisitively. "Hold on, I'm comin' down. Be there in a sec."

There was no doubt she was a red fox, the same species as Judy's own best friend. Unlike Nick, however, this one seemed completely in her element. Sliding down a vine to ease the fifteen-foot drop, she landed with a soft thump on rain-pocked sand and brushed off her fluffy tail before quickly closing the distance between them.

"So, what exactly brings ya to my island?"

As she got closer, Judy could tell the vixen spent plenty of time outdoors. Her clothes were faded, and she carried rope along with a very sharp-looking machete, though it was currently sheathed and hung casually from her belt.

"Our plane crashed," Judy answered honestly, gauging her reaction. Despite the weaponry, there was no sign of malice in the fox's seafoam eyes. In fact, she actually looked concerned.

"Aw man, that's terrible. I'm sorry to hear it. _Were you the only one who..."_ she trailed off, lowering her head sadly.

Thinking she'd accidentally hit a sore spot, Judy smiled apologetically. "Oh no, my friend's stuck here too. Not exactly his idea of a vacation, let me tell you."

The vixen's expression brightened, changing to a friendly grin.

"Lemme guess, another bunny?"

Judy shook her head.

"Nick's actually a fox like you. And speaking of _Junior Detective Wilde,_ I should really go inform him that despite all his complaining, I actually managed to find a local." Her tone was victorious, having proved her cynical partner wrong yet again.

At the mention of another fox, Judy saw the vixen's eyes grow eerily dark. It was over in a milisecond, leaving her to wonder if she'd imagined the entire thing.

Glancing over her shoulder towards where she'd agreed to meet up with Nick, the bunny realized she hadn't yet introduced herself.

"I'm Judy, by the way. Judy Hopps."

 _"Judy,"_ she said softly, "that's real nice." The mammal almost seemed to hesitate before her next sentence.

"Name's Kell, if you're wondering. Short for Kelly, but I don't do formalities anymore." She laughed, shaking her head at some unknown memory.

The bunny giggled at Kell's compliment. "Aw, thanks. I've known a few Kellys, but you're the first Kell."

"Hey, I never was one to follow the crowds," she drawled nonchalantly, swishing her fluffy white-tipped tail with every step.

Looking the vixen up and down as they wandered towards where she and Nick had washed ashore, Judy had to agree.

"I think I can see that," she joked, and Kell raised her eyebrows in amusement.

 _"It'd probably be easier to hide if I wasn't stuck on this island,"_ she said, before her lighthearted exaggeration grew more serious.

"Speaking of that, you might wanna come up with me to my little den. It ain't much, but there's dry clothes and I can clean up any minor wounds you got before the humidity makes 'em worse. Don't wanna chance stuff like that in the tropics, trust me."

Judy considered the offer carefully. Kell had been nothing but pleasant and helpful so far, if a bit eccentric. She was usually a decent judge of character, though the skill didn't come naturally to her the way it did to Nick. Still, following _anyone_ into an unfamiliar jungle might not be the wisest decision. Weighing her options for a few seconds, the violet-eyed mammal finally came to a satisfactory conclusion.

"That'd be really great, but I have to find Nick first. It'd probably be best if I introduced you guys as well," she chirped, striding towards their destination with the vixen right behind her.

Kell seemed rather indifferent to Judy's plan. "Yeah, I guess that'd be important. You guys can stay at my place overnight if you want," she offered, a hint of enthusiasm returning.

"Thanks," the bunny said, making little effort to hide her gratitude. She had no idea what kind of experience spending the night on an uncharted island would be, but the storm had left everything damp and unpleasant. A dry place to sleep sounded like heaven at the moment, and she was sure her partner would feel the same way.

Kell shrugged, somewhat embarrassed by the show of appreciation. "Oh, it's nothing. _Least I can do now that you're as stuck here as I am."_

The last few words hit Judy like a ton of bricks. Though the mysterious island was beautiful in its own way, she couldn't imagine being stranded forever. She had a life back in Zootopia, with family, friends and a career she adored. By now, her parents and siblings were probably worried sick, a thought that pained the usually optimistic bunny deeply.

No matter what happened, she'd make it back home with her best friend in tow. _That was a promise._

"So you're saying there's no way off?" The question was more of a demand, but Judy didn't care.

Sighing, Kell stopped walking and frowned thoughtfully.

"Technically, there is. It ain't guaranteed, though, and it won't be easy. You'll have to cross the whole island, and I'm not bragging when I say you'll need a guide. This place is pretty much a death trap, especially if you're not used to jungle survival. Mammalkind isn't ready to accept the things I deal with on a daily basis, and I'm warning you that you'll have a ton more questions than answers when it's all over."

 _So it was a challenge. She could handle that._ Judy found some of Kell's words rather confusing, but she wasn't about to let anything discourage her.

"I have a family and a life back home, and I'll do whatever it takes to see them again." Her words were firm, and Kell nodded in approval. _She'd passed the unspoken test._

"You're brave and incredibly determined," the vixen said as she appraised her newfound acquaintance, "I like that. If you ask nice and promise to keep your little friend on his best behavior, I'll help ya cross Lonely Island. There's a lot of danger and nothing will be easy, but you know, I think you're the kind of animal that can handle it. _Deal?"_ Kell extended her paw confidently.

Shaking it, Judy's eyes glowed with a spark of stubborn fearlessness. Right now the odds were stacked against them, but she knew in her heart everything would work out. After all, the ZPD's first bunny had always been a tryer. _Why should this be any different?_

"Come on, let's go find your buddy and settle down for the night. If you're both in decent condition, we set off early morning when it's still cool."

Walking side by side, the two animals continued talking, both developing a mutual respect for the other's unique talents and personality. Kell occasionally stopped to point out an interesting plant or rock formation, while Judy shared tales of big-city living and police work that made the vixen's eyes grow wide in delighted anticipation.

As the sky turned from a soft pink to blazing red, two sets of pawprints could be seen meandering along an otherwise pristine stretch of beach. Unbeknownst to the animals involved, they were at the start of a very grand and unforgettable adventure.

* * *

 **Steffi:** _So Judy has met Kell, the slightly quirky but kindhearted castaway. They get along, and everything's perfect... NOT! Throw in another fox and some reptiles, birds and amphibians into the equation, and things are gonna get messy. In the next chapter you'll see what our favorite officers think of the local fauna, and watch a lot of snarky foxy drama as this story really gets going :D_

 **Nyxy:** _I'm sure it'll be interesting. Anyway, thanks for reading! Now to reply to our review..._

 **Steffi:** _Hint: we love 'em and they keep us writing ;3 Reply time!_

 **Monranr:** Different is what we're aiming for, and we're glad you like it! Thanks for the review :D

 **Well, that's another chapter done. Keep an eye out for the next one, and don't forget to fave, follow and review if you enjoyed! Until then, ZeroFoxGiven is signing off :3**


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